BACKSTREETS^©

Live 15 Mar 1999 version

Hit it more than once!

One soft infested summer me and Terry became friends
Trying in vain to breathe the fire we were born in
Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house, getting wasted in this heat
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
With a love so hard and filled with defeat
Running for our lives at night out on those backstreets

Slow dancing in the dark on the beach at Stockton's Wing
Where desperate lovers park we met with the last of the Duke Street Kings
Huddled in our cars waiting for the bells that ring
In the deep heart of the night that set us loose from everything
To go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
We swore we'd live forever
Taking it on those backstreets together

Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where dancers scrape the tears up off the streets dressed down in rags
Running into the darkness, some hurt bad some really dying
At night sometimes it seemed you could hear that whole damn city crying
Blame it on the lies that killed us, on the truth that ran us down
You can blame it all on me, Terry, it don't matter to me now
When the breakdown hit at midnight, there was nothing left to say
'Cept I hated him and I hated you when you went away
Say yeah

Laying here in the dark, you're like an angel on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Trying in vain to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be
But after all this time we find we're just like all the rest
Stranded in the park and forced to confess
To hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
We swore forever friends
On the backstreets until the end
'Til the end

Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreet
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
It's alright
We'll go hiding on the backstreets tonight
Running on the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
Say it!

Whoah, whoah, whoah, oh, ooh

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

In 1999, Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame. The ceremony took place on 15 Mar 1999 at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City, NY. Springsteen played a 3-songs set with the reunited E Street Band (just a few days prior to beginning The Reunion Tour). BACKSTREETS was part of that set, and the above lyrics are for that performance of the song. An edited version of the ceremonies was aired on VH1 on 17 Mar 1999. Note that because his first album Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ was billed to Bruce Springsteen alone, the E Street Band was not inducted with him.

List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:

• Album's version (more details)

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake from BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.